Hydration, in bread baking terms, means how much water or liquid there is in a given amount of flour, or the ratio of water to flour by weight. More water means a higher hydration or wetter dough. Less water means a lower hydration or drier, stiffer dough. Hydration is figured out by the weight of the water as a percentage of the weight of the flour. Both ingredients are weighed and then the total amount of water by weight is divided by the total amount of flour by weight.
There will be times that you will need to just adjust the hydration because the dough is just too wet or dry. Instead of guessing how much to reduce or increase the liquids follow this simple formula below. First find out what is the hydration of the recipe and go from there.
There will be times that you will need to just adjust the hydration because the dough is just too wet or dry. Instead of guessing how much to reduce or increase the liquids follow this simple formula below. First find out what is the hydration of the recipe and go from there.
Example
Pizza Recipe with no sourdough starter
260g water
303g hard white
3g yeast (heaping tsp.)
3g salt (heaping tsp.)
This recipe is at 86%
260g water = .858 x 100 = 86%
303g hard white
How much extra water do you need for 90% hydration
x (water) =.9
303g hard white
x= .9 (303)
x= 273g water
So you will need to increase the water in this recipe to 273g to have the recipe at 90% hydration.
To check 273g water = .90 x 100 = 90%
303 hard white
Tips:
The lower hydration doughs are firmer and drier in the 50 – 64 % range of hydration. The medium hydration doughs are stickier and wetter at around 65% to 76% hydration (loaf Breads). High hydration doughs are more like a thick batter and are extremely wet and sticky at 77% and up (Pizza dough).
Pizza Recipe with no sourdough starter
260g water
303g hard white
3g yeast (heaping tsp.)
3g salt (heaping tsp.)
This recipe is at 86%
260g water = .858 x 100 = 86%
303g hard white
How much extra water do you need for 90% hydration
x (water) =.9
303g hard white
x= .9 (303)
x= 273g water
So you will need to increase the water in this recipe to 273g to have the recipe at 90% hydration.
To check 273g water = .90 x 100 = 90%
303 hard white
Tips:
The lower hydration doughs are firmer and drier in the 50 – 64 % range of hydration. The medium hydration doughs are stickier and wetter at around 65% to 76% hydration (loaf Breads). High hydration doughs are more like a thick batter and are extremely wet and sticky at 77% and up (Pizza dough).
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